Females who sexually offend

Current academic understanding regarding females who commit harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) is at a distinct disadvantage when compared to male offenders. Female sex offending is both under-reported and poorly understood. Limited research is available and most continues to be descriptive, focusing on offender and offence characteristics. This brief review paper aims to capture some of the current thinking in this important area of study, aiming to summarise some of the recent literature and making suggestions about how best to consider this population based on the limited knowledge base available. It does not aim to present a detailed review, just a ‘spotlight’ on some of the emerging themes and considerations likely important for HSB in females

Anonymously Provided Sperm and the Constitution

Obtaining sperm to use in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is relatively simple. Hospitals, clinics, and sperm banks throughout the United States are in the business of selling sperm from literally thousands of men. Once a man is approved to provide sperm, he contracts with the sperm bank to supply sperm for a specified period of time and designates himself as either an anonymous or open-identity sperm provider. When a man chooses to provide his sperm anonymously, both the sperm provider and intended parents agree to complete anonymity – that is, the sperm provider can never know the parents or any offspring, and vice versa. Anonymous sperm providers make up the vast majority of men selling sperm.Several commentators have argued that the use of anonymously provided sperm causes significant harm to provider-conceived children. Concerns asserted on behalf of provider-conceived children include: that provider-conceived children suffer emotional and psychological harm as a result of not knowing the identity of their genetic fathers; that the use of anonymously provided sperm violates a child’s right to know her genetic parents and will lead to unintended romantic relationships between genetic half-siblings; and that provider-conceived offspring are unable to adequately monitor their health and treat medical conditions because they are denied access to genetic information about their sperm provider. In response, several academics have called for a ban on anonymously provided sperm and a mandate that parents disclose to their children that they were conceived using purchased sperm.This article takes issue with both of these proposed regulations for two reasons. First, a ban on anonymously provided sperm and a requirement that parents inform their provider-conceived children of the details of their conception raise significant constitutional issues. For such legislation to be constitutional, it would presuppose that the fundamental rights to procreate and to raise one’s child are less robust for persons who conceive via ART than they are for persons who conceive through sexual reproduction. Currently, commentators advocating for a ban on anonymously provided sperm implicitly presume these lesser rights. Second, as a policy matter, such regulations are unnecessarily broad. A more tailored legislative response in the form of a national registry would address the legitimate concerns over the use of anonymously provided sperm without threatening the fundamental rights of ART parents

Anonymously Provided Sperm and the Constitution

Obtaining sperm to use in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is relatively simple. Hospitals, clinics, and sperm banks throughout the United States are in the business of selling sperm from literally thousands of men. Once a man is approved to provide sperm, he contracts with the sperm bank to supply sperm for a specified period of time and designates himself as either an anonymous or open-identity sperm provider. When a man chooses to provide his sperm anonymously, both the sperm provider and intended parents agree to complete anonymity – that is, the sperm provider can never know the parents or any offspring, and vice versa. Anonymous sperm providers make up the vast majority of men selling sperm.Several commentators have argued that the use of anonymously provided sperm causes significant harm to provider-conceived children. Concerns asserted on behalf of provider-conceived children include: that provider-conceived children suffer emotional and psychological harm as a result of not knowing the identity of their genetic fathers; that the use of anonymously provided sperm violates a child’s right to know her genetic parents and will lead to unintended romantic relationships between genetic half-siblings; and that provider-conceived offspring are unable to adequately monitor their health and treat medical conditions because they are denied access to genetic information about their sperm provider. In response, several academics have called for a ban on anonymously provided sperm and a mandate that parents disclose to their children that they were conceived using purchased sperm.This article takes issue with both of these proposed regulations for two reasons. First, a ban on anonymously provided sperm and a requirement that parents inform their provider-conceived children of the details of their conception raise significant constitutional issues. For such legislation to be constitutional, it would presuppose that the fundamental rights to procreate and to raise one’s child are less robust for persons who conceive via ART than they are for persons who conceive through sexual reproduction. Currently, commentators advocating for a ban on anonymously provided sperm implicitly presume these lesser rights. Second, as a policy matter, such regulations are unnecessarily broad. A more tailored legislative response in the form of a national registry would address the legitimate concerns over the use of anonymously provided sperm without threatening the fundamental rights of ART parents

A Comparison of Inverse Simulation-Based Fault Detection in a Simple Robotic Rover with a Traditional Model-Based Method

Robotic rovers which are designed to work in extra-terrestrial environments present a unique challenge in terms of the reliability and availability of systems throughout the mission. Should some fault occur, with the nearest human potentially millions of kilometres away, detection and identification of the fault must be performed solely by the robot and its subsystems. Faults in the system sensors are relatively straightforward to detect, through the residuals produced by comparison of the system output with that of a simple model. However, faults in the input, that is, the actuators of the system, are harder to detect. A step change in the input signal, caused potentially by the loss of an actuator, can propagate through the system, resulting in complex residuals in multiple outputs. These residuals can be difficult to isolate or distinguish from residuals caused by environmental disturbances. While a more complex fault detection method or additional sensors could be used to solve these issues, an alternative is presented here. Using inverse simulation (InvSim), the inputs and outputs of the mathematical model of the rover system are reversed. Thus, for a desired trajectory, the corresponding actuator inputs are obtained. A step fault near the input then manifests itself as a step change in the residual between the system inputs and the input trajectory obtained through inverse simulation. This approach avoids the need for additional hardware on a mass- and power-critical system such as the rover. The InvSim fault detection method is applied to a simple four-wheeled rover in simulation. Additive system faults and an external disturbance force and are applied to the vehicle in turn, such that the dynamic response and sensor output of the rover are impacted. Basic model-based fault detection is then employed to provide output residuals which may be analysed to provide information on the fault/disturbance. InvSim-based fault detection is then employed, similarly providing \textit{input} residuals which provide further information on the fault/disturbance. The input residuals are shown to provide clearer information on the location and magnitude of an input fault than the output residuals. Additionally, they can allow faults to be more clearly discriminated from environmental disturbances

Examining the portrayal of homophobic and non-homophobic aggression in print media through an integrated grounded behavioural linguistic inquiry (IGBLI) approach

The role of the media in supporting an understanding of the social world is well documented. The representation of homosexuals in the media can therefore impact on homophobia within society. This chapter examines how homosexuals are portrayed in the media generally, before examining and comparing newspaper reports of homosexual aggression with heterosexual aggression. Utilising a new and innovative research methodology, an Integrated Grounded Behavioural Linguistic Inquiry (IGBLI) approach, a sample of articles from daily newspapers in circulation within the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia are examined. The similarities and differences in the way print media report on these aggressive incidents are considered

Inverse Simulation as a Tool for Fault Detection and Isolation in Planetary Rovers

With manned expeditions to planetary bodies beyond our own and the Moon currently intractable, the onus falls upon robotic systems to explore and analyse extraterrestrial environments such as Mars. These systems typically take the form of wheeled rovers, designed to navigate the difficult terrain of other worlds. Rovers have been used in this role since Lunokhod 1 landed on the Moon in 1970. While early rovers were remote controlled, communication latency with bodies beyond the Moon and the desire to improve mission effectiveness have resulted in increasing autonomy in planetary rovers. With an increase in autonomy, however, comes an increase in complexity. This can have a negative impact on the reliability of the rover system. With a fault-free system an unlikely prospect and human assistance millions of miles away, the rover must have a robust fault detection, isolation and recovery (FDIR) system. The need for comprehensive FDIR is demonstrated by the recent Chinese lunar rover, Yutu (or “Jade Rabbit”). Yutu was rendered immobile 42 days after landing and remained so for the duration of its operational life: 31 months. While its lifespan far exceeded its expected value, Yutu's inability to move severely impaired its ability to perform its mission. This clearly highlights the need for robust FDIR. A common approach to FDIR is through the generation and analysis of residuals. Output residuals may be obtained by comparing the outputs of the system with predictions of those outputs, obtained from a mathematical model of the system which is supplied with the system inputs. Output residuals allow simple detection and isolation of faults at the output of the system. Faults in earlier stages of the system, however, propagate through the system dynamics and can disperse amongst several of the outputs. This problem is exemplified by faults at the input, which can potentially excite every system state and thus manifest in every output residual. Methods exist for decoupling and analysing output residuals such that input faults may be isolated, however, these methods are complex and require comprehensive development and testing. A conceptually simpler approach is presented in this paper. Inverse simulation (InvSim) is a numerical method by which the inputs of a system are obtained for a desired output. It does so by using a Newton-Raphson algorithm to solve a non-linear model of the system for the input. When supplied with the outputs of a fault-afflicted system, InvSim produces the input required to drive a fault-free system to this output. The fault therefore manifests itself in this generated input signal. The InvSim-generated input may then be compared to the true system input to generate input residuals. Just as a fault at an output manifests itself in the residual for that output alone, a fault at an input similarly manifests itself only in the residual for that input. InvSim may also be used to generate residuals at other locations in the system, by considering distinct subsystems with their own inputs and outputs. This ability is tested comprehensively in this paper. Faults are applied to a simulated rover at a variety of locations within the system structure and residuals generated using both InvSim and conventional forward simulation. Residuals generated using InvSim are shown to facilitate detection and isolation of faults in several locations using simple analyses. By contrast, forward simulation requires the use of complex analytical methods such as structured residuals or adaptive thresholds

Extreme stress events in a forensic hospital setting: prevalence, impact, and protective factors in staff

The current research explored the prevalence of stressful events in a forensic hospital setting, and their impact on staff. A systematic review of the literature on responses following exposure to extreme stress comprised 46 articles. This was followed by a Delphi study of professionals based in a forensic hospital (n = 43) to explore views on the factors that affect responses to extreme stress. This comprised three rounds to build consensus. Finally, a study of forensic hospital staff was conducted (n = 153, 47% male) to capture current trauma symptoms. The systematic review indicated three superordinate themes: outcomes adversely impacting staff and patients; personal characteristics moderating the impact of events; and organisational and interpersonal support moderating the impact of events. The Delphi supported these themes and noted the importance of factors external to the workplace and internal factors, such as self-blame. The final study demonstrated how a fifth of the workforce showed at least some trauma symptomology. Those who experienced less burnout reported lower trauma symptoms, while staff who experienced higher levels of secondary trauma at work reported higher levels of trauma symptoms. A higher level of resilience was related to lower levels of trauma symptomology. Findings are discussed in relation to the importance of recognising trauma in staff and implementing strategies to reduce and/or buffer the impact of stress on wellbeing. In doing so, the research presents a new model for consideration and development, the Impact and Amelioration of extreme stress events Model (IA-Model)